Tuesday, 1 April 2014

A for Abbeys, Abbostford & Armstrongs in "My Scottish Borders"

The fourABBEYSof Dryburgh, Jedburgh, Kelso and Melrose were founded by King David ! of Scotland in the 12th century. Up to the mid sixteenth century, they suffered repeatedly from attack during the course of the many English invasions

Melrose Abbey

Melrose Abbey,
founded in 1136 by David I, was the first monastery of the Cistercian
order established in Scotland. The heart of King Robert the Bruce is said to be buried there.
The exterior of this ruin is decorated by unusual sculptures,
including hobgoblins, cooks with ladles and a bagpipe playing pig.

ABBOTSFORD - the home of Sir Walter Scott, (1771-1832), historical novelist and poet, regarded in his lifetime as the most renowned world-wide writer of his day. Scott built Abbotsford on the banks of the River Tweed, near Melrose in 1822. You can still see today his library of over 9000 volumes, his writing desk and his treasure trove of Scottish artifacts and history. Last year a new visitor centre, telling the story of his life, was opened by the Queen

In the period of general lawlessness and cross Border raids, the Armstrongs were one of the most powerful Border families.

In 1530 Johnnie Armstrong, infamous as a Border reiver (raider), was persuaded by a royal writ of safe passage, to meet James V at Caerlanrig, south of Hawick. But Johnnie was seized and hanged along with many of his supporters. A memorial to Armstrong and his men stands in the Caerlanrig chapel graveyard.

The trees on which the Armstrangs deed [died]Wi' summer leaves were gay,But lang afore the harvest tide They wither'd a' away.

KINMONT WILLIE

In 1972,Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, visited Langholm, near Gilnockie Tower, to become the town's first and only Freeman. The Tower now holds the biggest archive of Armstrong history in the world

Armstrong Crest

Armstrong Tartan

Some more fascinating facts on the Scottish Borders:

A royal wedding took place at Jedburgh Abbey in 1285 when King ALEXANDER III married there his second wife,Yolande de Dreux. Alexander died a year later after falling off his horse in the dark and his only surviving heir, granddaughter Margaret "The Maid of Norway" died at sea in 1290, on her way to claim the throne - events which sparked a long period of instability and warfare in Scotland with competing claims to the Scottish throne.

John AINSLIE (1745-1828) was born and buried in Jedburgh Abbey. He has been de3scribed as Scotland's greatest cartographer, both for the quality and quantity of his work. His outstanding achievements include the 1789 map of Scotland, which was
the first to show the Scottish coastline with any accuracy.

Hi Sue your blog topic is very timely for me as I am a volunteer guide at the Ballarat art gallery and we have a Scottish Australian exhibition starting next week.A great start to your AtoZ challengeBest wishesAnne from Ballarathttp://ayfamilyhistory.blogspot.com.au/

About Me

I have been interested in family history for years. It all began when I was allowed as a child to look through the old family photographs and memorabilia kept in a shoebox in the cupboard at my grandfather's house. That treat started me on a fascinating ancestral trail.